1993 Prelude, every two weeks or so it wont start and there are two options: We either come back after a few hours and it will go just fine, or we can take the fuel line off at the rail, try to start it with the line off(which makes it start for about half a second), and put the line back on, and then it will run fine.
Thoughts on what this phenomenon may indicate?
Wont start till take fuel line off
Moderators: RedRacer, spiffyguido
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jaynik
- Prelude Enthusiast
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:37 pm
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spiffyguido
- Moderator
- Posts: 2196
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:55 am
- Prelude Model: 1991 SE-SR
- Location: Alberta, Canada
- Contact:
You might have a faulty coolant temperature sensor, causing your engine to flood when you try and start it. That's why your engine will sputter when you disconnect the fuel line; the flooding will get cleared and enough residual gas will be there to spark a revolution or two.
To test if the coolant temperature sensor is to blame just disconnect the wire plug from the sensing unit found on your engine. I think that on your car it is located right where the upper rad hose comes into the engine. The plug connector is usually green in color; the sensor itself is round and has a top the shape of a bolt so it can be removed with a wrench. Don't take the sensor out, just disconnect it and try starting the motor. My guess is that it will start right up.
If you do find this to be the problem, got to Honda and buy a new sensor (they're not expensive). Wait for your engine to cool down and remove the old sensor with a wrench. Pop the new one in, bleed your coolant system and reconnect the coolant temperature sensor plug.
Good luck.
Let us know how it works, and hit us back if you have any additional questions or if this fix doesn't work.
To test if the coolant temperature sensor is to blame just disconnect the wire plug from the sensing unit found on your engine. I think that on your car it is located right where the upper rad hose comes into the engine. The plug connector is usually green in color; the sensor itself is round and has a top the shape of a bolt so it can be removed with a wrench. Don't take the sensor out, just disconnect it and try starting the motor. My guess is that it will start right up.
If you do find this to be the problem, got to Honda and buy a new sensor (they're not expensive). Wait for your engine to cool down and remove the old sensor with a wrench. Pop the new one in, bleed your coolant system and reconnect the coolant temperature sensor plug.
Good luck.
Let us know how it works, and hit us back if you have any additional questions or if this fix doesn't work.
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RedRacer
- Moderator
- Posts: 532
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:38 pm
- Prelude Model: 1995 Si w/mods
- Location: Alabama
This is one of those weird ones that can also have symptoms that show it to be one thing when it's actually another. What Spiff has said is a good start.
I have a question along other lines.
Does this happen only when it's warm outside or now that it has turned warm where you live?
The starter relay in our cars have a bad habit of going bad and when the warm temps hit, the circuit board where the crack is (which is the cause of the problem) will expand, the circuit opens and the relay fails and the car won't start.
It cools off in the car or outside, the board shrinks, the circuit closes and when you come back the car will start.
Next time the car won't start, with all accessories off and no noise around you, turn the key about half way to crank, listen for a "CLICK" from under the upper left hand side of the dash.... do this same half way crank when the car is running. If you don't hear this click when it doesn't crank, but you do hear it when it will crank, it's the relay. If you're hearing the click both times, it probably is not the relay.
Curious; what prompted you to remove the fuel line at the injector rail to try and get it to start?
Josh
I have a question along other lines.
Does this happen only when it's warm outside or now that it has turned warm where you live?
The starter relay in our cars have a bad habit of going bad and when the warm temps hit, the circuit board where the crack is (which is the cause of the problem) will expand, the circuit opens and the relay fails and the car won't start.
It cools off in the car or outside, the board shrinks, the circuit closes and when you come back the car will start.
Next time the car won't start, with all accessories off and no noise around you, turn the key about half way to crank, listen for a "CLICK" from under the upper left hand side of the dash.... do this same half way crank when the car is running. If you don't hear this click when it doesn't crank, but you do hear it when it will crank, it's the relay. If you're hearing the click both times, it probably is not the relay.
Curious; what prompted you to remove the fuel line at the injector rail to try and get it to start?
Josh